We have all probably fallen victim to the awkward moment — the trip and fall when you needed to be graceful because you are getting inducted to NJHS front of the whole school, talking about the boy you are mad crushing over only to find his grandmother has heard everything, scoring a basket at the wrong end of the basketball court because you too got caught up in the rebounding and put it right back up, etc. We have all been there, right? No? Just me in middle school.

Today I was reading this little gem by recommendation. Sir Thomas Malory was not afraid to embarrass his characters at all. In one of the stories Sir Lancelot takes an arrow in the butt from a female hunter who misses a deer. It is difficult to figure out who to feel more embarrassed for: the knight who has to seek help because he has an arrow in the ass or the female huntress who accidentally shot it there. I am sure Lancelot was probably every embarrassed to share with all the other knights why he would be out of commission while healing took place.

In a second passage, Lancelot is trying to sneak into Guinevere’s room. In the moment, he is so overcome with his passion for her, he becomes careless. In the process of gaining entry to the room, he cuts the bars on her window and cuts his hand to the bone. He then spends the night bleeding all over her bedroom. I am sure Guinevere found this attractive. Smooth move. I also thought it was the damsel who was suppose to be in distress — not the knight.

Have you read some awkward moments?